


As Soldiers Do

by InRaosLight



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex loves her alien gun, Astra doesn't realize how much, F/F, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-23 15:03:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17082569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InRaosLight/pseuds/InRaosLight
Summary: Alex called dibs. Astra is just trying to help.





	As Soldiers Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anonymississippi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymississippi/gifts).



> Happy Holidays to Anonymississippi! This is probably a bit off prompt, but I hope you enjoy :)

Astra was tired from a full day of DEO training exercises and readiness testing, but she wasn't so tired she missed Alex sneakily disarming their special weapons safe while they went through their nightly routine.

The choice of safe itself is unusual enough, but the sneaking is what truly makes Astra take notice. Unlike the "regular" gun safe located near the door of their room that takes a thumbprint to open quickly and contains Alex's standard issue guns and ammo the smaller "special" safe holds a wider variety of weapons. Grenades, including red sun and yellow sun variants, pulse mines, Astra even remembers a few poison and tranquilizer darts buried in the back. It's a last stand type of armory, one both soldiers feel more comfortable for having even if they never actually need any of the contents.

Which is why Alex opening the safe and slipping something inside is worrying. They've been together for months now, but the earlier animosity between them isn't easily forgotten. While they stand together now, Astra still remembers the days they'd actively tried to kill each other.

Pushing down the paranoia with a stern reminder that times past are just that, Astra crosses the room to Alex's side just as the safe door swings shut. The guilty look doesn't help with the fears but Astra refuses to slip back into the distrust that prevented their relationship for too many months. Alex will not hurt her. Alex believes in her. And Astra will not betray that belief with a rash action or assumption.

"What have  you brought home this time?" Astra says levelly, arching what she hopes is a teasing brow at her lover.

There's a moment of worry her teasing had been missed while Alex continues to look guilty, then with a sigh she keys in the code to open the safe. "You remember that Slaver's Moon mission you yelled at both Kara and I for going on?" Alex says as she reaches inside.

"I do. It was was a foolish decision and an unacceptable risk from you both, and it nearly resulted in your deaths," Astra says evenly. She still hasn't quite forgiven Alex for that one, and they both know it. She'd been frightened past what her training could conceal when she found out where Kara was, and where Alex had followed.

Alex obviously remembers that fact as she winces, but she doesn't stop pulling out the small handgun she'd attempted to hide. "I found this while we were there, and it worked so well on the guards I kept it. Or at least I'm trying to keep it, if I surrender it to the DEO it goes to R&D and I'll never see it again."

Astra takes the weapon carefully, too familiar with strange trigger mechanisms to risk grabbing it without being certain there isn't something on the grip. But it's a fairly standard handheld energy pulsar, modified from the more familiar version common to most police forces across the galaxy. "What color was the energy discharge?" she asks as she examines the barrel, noticing a few unusual circuit connectors beneath the protective casing. 

"Blue. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I was merely curious. I've never seen a Graximadan force blaster modified to throw stun blasts. A strange modification, it would severely impact the range without increasing the effective blast force." A strange weapon indeed, Astra wasn't sure what to make of it. It had been seized from slavers, but they had little reason to care for the humans they captured. Why would they sacrifice range without an increase in performance?

"Wait, this isn't a standard issue alien weapon?" Alex asks, holding her hand out to inspect it herself. "I assumed it was just what people carried in space."

"Oh no, this is most assuredly an inferior weapon. Low range, a stun impact rather than anything more effective. I am not sure why it was issued to the guards, unless there were many questions about their loyalty."

It takes a moment for Astra to notice the crestfallen look on Alex's face, and she realizes too late that her lover had been greatly impressed by the new weapon. And while inferior to much of the equipment Astra had carried as a soldier and general, it was a better option than most of the weaponry available on Earth, even for an elite member of a secret alien focused government agency.

"I believe I could reverse the modification, or at least increase the performance," Astra offers once everything falls into place. "It would depend whether you wished for access to lethal rounds, or simply a return of the effectiveness lost over distance."

It's not enough, doesn't erase the careless hurt of her words, but Astra has never managed that trick. Alura is the one with the words, with the ability to say the hard things in a way that doesn't hurt. Astra is a soldier. Most of her actions end with someone hurt, whether she's fighting or not. All she can do is make up for the pain she causes. She'll do that for the rest of her life, if Alex will let her.

"Probably easier to claim it's a personal weapon if it's just a stun round," Alex says after a moment. "But that can wait for tomorrow evening, I'll bring home whatever tools you'll think you need. Will you show me?"

Astra nods and waits for Alex to deposit the gun in the safe, carefully locking and engaging the security to keep anyone who isn't them from getting inside. "Of course I will. With the proper tools, I am sure it could be further modified to the equivalent of a Furliax pulse stunner, an excellent choice for law enforcement use."

"Maybe we should take J'onn's ship out to an intergalactic arms dealer," Alex teases as she crawls into bed. "No more modifying seized weapons, we can just order a shipment of the real things instead."

Astra shakes her head, recognizing the humor for what it is. "But then what would make your new sidearm unique?"

"Mm, good point. I can't intimidate the new recruits with my powerful new gun if they have a rifle that outperforms it, now can I?"

"I do not believe you need assistance intimidating the recruits," Astra scoffs as she pulls Alex into her side. "There are still several who refuse to meet your eyes, are there not?"

"Never hurts to be sure."

 


End file.
